Seabrook residents seek to outlaw synthetic weed

SEABROOK — Those who know the stuff call it synthetic poison, not synthetic marijuana.

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By Nick B. Reid

seacoastonline.com

By Nick B. Reid

Posted Oct. 6, 2013 at 2:00 AM

By Nick B. Reid

Posted Oct. 6, 2013 at 2:00 AM

Fight against fake pot

Town Manager William Manzi will update residents on Seabrook's fight to ban synthetic marijuana in town on Monday at 6:30 p.m. at Town Hall, 99 Lafayette Road.

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Fight against fake pot

Town Manager William Manzi will update residents on Seabrook's fight to ban synthetic marijuana in town on Monday at 6:30 p.m. at Town Hall, 99 Lafayette Road.

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SEABROOK — Those who know the stuff call it synthetic poison, not synthetic marijuana.

Town officials are expected to propose a new plan on Monday to ban K2, Spice and all the other forms of synthetic marijuana when residents made a renewed push to remove the drug from town after a petition warrant article that was accepted overwhelmingly in 2011 turned out not to be enforceable.

The Board of Selectmen ordered Town Manager William Manzi last month to study alternative ways to curb sale of the drug in town, since an outright substance ban can only be enacted by the federal government or state Legislature.

Synthetic marijuana is sold at stores in town as herbal incense with brightly colored packaging and names like Stoopid, Twilite and XXX and a disclaimer saying it's "not for human consumption." Kiki, the anonymous organizer of the Seabrook Watchdogs, says it's well-known that the target market for the drug is teens and pre-teens.

"Twelve-year-olds don't understand that just because something is sold over the counter doesn't mean it's safe," Kiki said. "It becomes their first drug of choice because they think that it's legal, therefore it must be safe."

Since the contents are an herb treated with unregulated chemicals, the federal Drug Enforcement Administration warns of "hot spots" that can cause serious illness and even death.

The town of Wolfeboro addressed the problem by banning transport of the drug on town roads, effectively cutting off the retailers from the suppliers. Seabrook Police Chief Lee Bitomske said Sgt. Brett Walker "did a lot of extensive work" studying synthetic marijuana ordinances around the state and working with Lt. Dean Rondeau of the Wolfeboro Police Department.

The DEA states that designer synthetic drugs have caused significant abuse, addiction, overdoses and emergency room visits. Those who have abused synthetic drugs have suffered vomiting, anxiety, agitation, irritability, seizures, hallucinations, tachycardia, elevated blood pressure and loss of consciousness. The substances have caused significant organ damage as well as overdose deaths, according to the DEA.

In 2012, a report by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration reported 11,406 emergency department visits involving a synthetic cannabinoid product during 2010. In a 2013 report, SAMHSA reported the number of emergency department visits in 2011 involving a synthetic cannabinoid product had increased 2.5 times to 28,531. The American Association of Poison Control Centers reported 5,205 calls related to human exposure of synthetic cannabinoids.

More and more variants of the drug are appearing around the country. In 2011, the federal government banned five compounds. In 2012, it added 26 more into Schedule I or the Controlled Substances Act. Activists say new formulas are constantly redesigned to skirt the law.

Walker said in Seabrook issues with synthetic marijuana are "something we deal with regularly." Since it's legal to buy and possess, the only thing the department can charge users with is inhaling toxic vapors for effect. He said he couldn't give specific statistics as to how many synthetic drug-related arrests had been made, because in many cases they've found that perpetrators of a variety of crimes end up admitting that they'd been fueled by their need for money to buy more synthetics.

"We've had the whole gamut of crimes — shoplifting, theft, assault, domestic assault, you name it," Walker said. "We've had these substances mentioned in several of these. We do have people who are regularly arrested for the same thing regarding these substances."

Walker said two ways he's found that towns curb usage is through prohibiting transport on the town's roads and by suspending or revoking the business license of places found to be violating the law. Selectmen were concerned with the liability that follows a ban if it were improperly executed and emphasized the importance of having legal counsel delve into the issue.

Manzi said town counsel will be communicating with other New Hampshire municipalities that have taken on synthetic marijuana.

He's expected to present his findings and a plan of action before selectmen Monday at 6:30 p.m. at Seabrook Town Hall.

Fight against fake pot

Town Manager William Manzi will update residents on Seabrook's fight to ban synthetic marijuana in town on Monday at 6:30 p.m. at Town Hall, 99 Lafayette Road.